Vera Farmiga (right, with Dagmara Dominczyk) directs and stars in a rare film that portrays faith without derision or unquestioning reverence.

Most contemporary movies either treat religion uncritically or mock it outright. This promising directing debut by whip-smart actress Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) takes another, more interesting path.

Adapted by Carolyn S. Briggs (with the help of Tim Metcalfe) from her own memoir, this episodic tale centers on an intelligent working-class woman (Farmiga) and her husband (Joshua Leonard), who become part of an evangelical community in upstate New York after their daughter is saved from drowning.

But Farmiga’s born-again faith is tested repeatedly: by the community’s rigid patriarchy, a terrible fate that befalls her closest friend (Dagmara Dominczyk) and the unfulfilled yearnings in her own marriage.

Spanning two decades in a little under two hours, “Higher Ground” is a well-acted if slow-moving drama that will reward adventurous audiences with fine performances and a thoughtful approach.